Republic XP-47M Thunderbolt

The largest and heaviest single-seat fighter ever built and the fastest fighter in WWII. The Thunderbolt reached speeds of 504 mph at 34,000 feet in level flight and consumed an astonishing 330 gallons of fuel per hour.

The P-47M was designed by WWI ace Alexander Kartveli to combat jets and the V-1 rocket. With speed, altitude and range the “Jug” was responsible for more victories than any other aircraft in WWII.

In the first six months of 1945, the P-47 dropped an average of 541 tons of bombs daily.

Bodyguard to the bombers of the European Theater, the P-47 gave the Allies air superiority.

This Thunderbolt was entered in the 1947 and 1948 Bendix Air Races. This P-47M was owned by pilot Bill Odom and known as the Reynolds Bombshell.

Acquired by Yanks in October 1985 and restored, it has become the only flying P-47M in the world.